Page 4 of Serendipity

Serendipity glared in my direction, “Uh, a customer from a few months ago brought her in. Real sweet kid. I told you about her and the blond guy who felt a little like someone from our past. Do you remember?” Judas nodded. “This customer, Hope, said that Serendipity needed our help.”

The Pres switched his gaze to Serendipity. “So you decided to get in a car with a stranger who dragged you to a biker bar?” He raised his eyebrows. “Can’t protect against stupid, Cain. Gotta have some self-preservation instincts to start with. Take her to a women’s shelter somewhere.”

Solomon’s gaze was bouncing between the three of us like he was watching a trainwreck, which he probably was. Serendipity growled. “I trust Hope’s judgement and somehow she knows the giant has a good heart. She wouldn’t have sent me with him otherwise. I trust that he doesn’t hang around with the kind of person who rapes women and kills children.” She lifted her chin, daring him to prove her wrong.

Judas’ body was so rigid I worried he was going to snap. I edged a little closer to the girl, and noticed Solomon doing the same. Judas’ jaw flexed as he got himself under control.

“Tell me.”

She frowned, her nose screwing up in a way that was fucking adorable. “Tell you what?”

Judas crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a look that had made grown men piss themselves.

“Everything.”

2

JUDAS

Iwas holding myself so tight, I could feel my muscles twitch. My gaze kept drifting to this woman’s midsection like it was magnetized. I gritted my teeth, willing them back up to her face, but her eyes were just as bad. They were like the Mediterranean Sea during a storm, and I was pretty sure I was drowning.

“I met a man,” she said softly, her backbone rigid. I didn’t need to know any more about this fucker. I already wanted to pound his face into a pulp. “He was beautiful. Like inhumanly beautiful. I don’t normally…” She trailed off, a soft rose color lighting up her cheekbones. “I don’t get close to people, but with him, I couldn’t help myself. We had one night, and it fucking sucked. He was pretty but selfish.” She looked over at Solomon. “You know the type, right?”

Cain laughed at the subtle burn, and Solomon opened his mouth to defend himself, but I waved a hand at him, stopping him before he could speak. I could see the laughter dancing in her eyes.

“Anyway, the next morning he seemed disgusted with what he’d done. He called me all sorts of vile things. He punched me in the face, knocking me out, and when I woke up, I was in a place of darkness.”

My eyebrows drew down at her odd phrasing. She was holding something back, but I let it go.

“He kept me there for months, though he never came back. But his friend did.” She swallowed hard and the first sign of true terror crossed her face and I wanted to fucking trash my office. I wanted to growl and howl and fucking kill any person who had ever hurt her. I fucking hated her for it. Instead, I waved for her to continue impatiently. “I was dying. I was covered in wounds, cuts and bites where I’d been tortured.”

Cain let go of the same emotion that I was holding so tightly to my chest. He turned and put his fist through the drywall. Solomon was beside him almost instantly, but I didn’t fail to notice that he placed his body between the woman and Cain. We both knew the big man would slit his own throat before he hurt her, but something about her put even the most easygoing of us on alert.

“Continue,” I grunted, and annoyance flared in her eyes. Good. It was better than that dead expression.

“Anyway, Hope found me, rescued me. She dropped me off with… someone else. But when I began to show, I realized that thatfuckerhad knocked me up. Despite the condoms. Despite the fact I’d been starved and beaten for months. When this other person realized I was pregnant, we decided it wasn’t safe for me to be there anymore.”

I growled. “What kind of spineless bastard kicks out a pregnant woman on the run?”

Her shoulders straightened and she looked me right in the eye. “One that wants what’s best for his

kids.”

So it was a guy. I didn’t like the fire in her expression when she thought about this other savior. I was going to fucking beat him until he couldn’t lift a hand to touch her, kids or not. I clamped down on the thought.

I didn’t give a damn who she fucked. I had no interest whatsoever in this woman. Not sexually or emotionally. She was Cain’s fucking problem.

“And what, exactly, are you not safe from? What mess are you bringing to our door?”

She paled, and shook her head. “The bad kind. The worst kind you can think of. You don’t stand a chance.” She looked completely desolate in that moment, and I wanted to wrap my damn arms around her and tell her that I would keep her safe from the very hounds of Hell. She took a step toward me, her eyes desperate. “I just need a place to stay until the baby is born. Then I’ll know.”

Cain placed a reassuring hand on her arm, and I wanted to rip it off and beat him with it. “It’s okay. You’re safe here,” my VP said softly. His eyes dared me to disagree.

I scowled at him then looked back at the girl. “Then you’ll know what?”

“Whether the baby is a monster.”

Solomon flinched back like she’d struck him. I wanted to flinch too, instead I felt my hands ball.

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